Semaphore-locking device.



l' No. 796,173.

` PATENTED AUG. 1,1905.

B. APPERSON. SEMAPHORB LOOKING DEVICE. APPLIOATIN FILED 23.3.1905. 4

Witness v v 4,/ Y (Q I UNITED. sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug'. 1, 1905.

'Application-filed April 3, 1905. Serial No. 253,688.

To fir/Z7l r11/wm t may concer-u:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR BERT APPRR- videv means of the most simple construction which may be readily applied to existing semaphore-operating mechanisms, .and in which the train orders serve as a means for locking the operating mechanism in danger position, and are so-arranged and disposed that it will be impossible ,for the operator to alter thel positionA of thesemaphorewithout iirst removing the train orders.

With these-and other objects in View, as

will more fully hereinafter4 appear, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts herelnafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, 4it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions`,size, and minor details ofthe structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is I a plan view of a portion of the apparatus at a signaling-station, showing two semaphoreoperating levers and the mechanism for locking the same in danger position. Fig'. 2 is a sectional elevation of the same on the line 2 2 of. Fig. 1. elevation of the mechanism on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4l is a detail perspective view of the locking device for the operating-lever.

Similar letters and numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings. A table A is of the usual type and is provided with a metallic plateB, in which are formed elongated slots C for the passage of semaphore-operating levers D, these being of theusual construction and connected in the usual manner to the semaphore-arms or similar signaling mechanism. These plates are Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional usually colored, as shown in Fig; 1, .one half red and the other half greenjtiofindicate that when the lever is in the red`v field the semaphore-arm is at danger position and when in the green field that the arm is in safety position, In the present case the invention aims to lock the operating-lever in the red or danger ield in such manner that the operator cannot'rnove said lever until his attention is called to train orders to be delivered to the. crew of an approaching train.

Oney wall of the slot C is provided with bearings 10l for thereception of a rock-shaft 11, on the opposite ends of which are arms 1 2 and 13, the arm 13 *being much heavier` than the arm 12, and if left free the two arms will be moved to a vertical position, as shown in Fig. 3, and the operating-lever D will then y be free to move to and fro in the `slot for the purpose of altering the position of the semaphore-arm. The arm 13 is of suiiicient length to extend across the slot and enter a recess 14:, formed in the under side of the table, while 4the arm 12 is adapted to enter a recess 15,

formed in the upper face of the table, sothat when turned to the horizontal position its upper-face will be flush with or below the top of the table. 1

On the top of the table are arranged guides or clips 16, formed of sheet metal and arranged to' receive train orders, these being shown in the present instance in the form of the usual slip orders 17, mounted on a clip,-

board 18, and when an order is received it is written on the top of the blank and the board as a whole is moved into the guides or clips 1 6. This, however, can only be accomplished by first moving the operating-lever D to the danger position, as shown at the upper portion of Fig. 1, and by turning the arm 12 down into the recess 15 'to permit the clipboard to be slid inward within the guides.

The table may be of any desired length and has operating-levers of a number corresponding to the number of signals, switches, Sac., under the control of the station, and each of said levers is under the control of a separate locking device, the guide 16 between adjacent levers being of the construction best shown in Fig. 3 for the purpose of receiving adjacent clip members 18.

When the station master or operator receives an order from the train-despatcher to be delivered to a certain train, he writes out the order on 'the usual blank and then places the order or clip-board 18 in the guides adjacent to the semaphore operating lever, which controls the movement of the train to which the orders are to be delivered. Before this can be done the operating-lever is thrown to the danger position, as shown in the upper portion of Fig. 1, and as the board 18 is slid inward the arm 12 is turned down, so that the board may pass over the same, and thus hold the arms 12 and 13 in horizontal position, arm 13 then forming a fixed stop that will prevent any movement of the operatinglever to safety positionuntil the order-board 18 has been removed, and this cannot fail to attract the attention of the operator to the order for the approaching train.

By the employment of locking devices of this character the work of the operator is greatly simplied, and it is practically impossible to neglect the delivery of orders to the proper trains, for the reason that the operavtor must grasp and remove the train order before he can shift the position of the semaphore-arm to safety position, and the train cannot leave the station until this is accomplished.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is- 1. In apparatus of the class described, a semaphore-operatin-g lever, a locking device for preventing movement of the same to safety position, and a train order disposed in the path of movement of the lever, and controlling the position of the lock.

2. In apparatus of the class described, a slotted table, a semaphore-operating lever, a pivotally-mounted locking-arm movable into the path of the operating-lever, and a train order controlling the position of the arm.

3. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a slotted table` of a semaphore-operating lever, a rock-shaft, arms carried thereby, one of the arms being movable across the slot, and the other into alinement with the table, and train-order-holding guides adjacent to the slot.

4. In apparatus of the class described, a slotted table having recesses in its upper and lower faces, a semaphore-operating lever movable in the slot, a rock-shaft journaled at one side of the slot and having arms at its opposite ends, one of said arms being movable across the slot into one of the recesses, and the opposite arm being movable into the seeond recess, guides on the upper face of the table, and a train-order-holding means movable into said guides and serving to maintain the second arm in the horizontal position within its recess.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afxed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR BERT AIPERSON.

Witnesses:

G. F. HORN, W. H. STEWART. 

